Girls who take magnesium supplements as adolescents may be giving themselves stronger bones for the future.

Researchers at the Yale University School of Medicine took a selection of girls aged 8 to 14 and gave them either a daily 300 mg supplement of magnesium — taken in two doses — or a placebo. The year-long test was double-blind. Researchers found the girls who were given the magnesium had significant increases in body mineral content, meaning stronger bones.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says the daily recommended intake of magnesium is 240 mg for boys and girls aged 9 to 13, and 360 mg for girls aged 14 to 18, levelling off at 300 mg as adults. Boys between the ages of 14 and 18 should take in 410 mg and keep it up as an adult.

Magnesium is found in plenty of foods, but it is found in the largest quantities in nuts (especially almonds and cashews), halibut and porridge. Good amounts of magnesium can also be found in yogurt and beans. Approximately 50 percent of the magnesium found in the average human is found in our bones, according to the web site of the National Institutes of Health.

The Yale research was reportedly the first of its kind involving children and it is published in the February, 2007, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 10th, 2007 at 10:20 am and is filed under Children's Health, Osteoporosis, Supplements. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.